1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods of conducting business, and more specifically to a method of conducting business on a communications system or internet.
2. Background of the Invention
Recently, a wide variety of business models have been utilized in conducting business on the global communication network known as the Internet. One of these methods involves bidding on a service or good such as an airplane ticket, and letting providers of that service or good respond if they can meet the bid price. Another method of doing business on the internet includes directing targeted advertising to a consumer in exchange for some action by the consumer. The action by the consumer may be viewing ads from advertisers which are displayed on his computer screen as he uses it. In exchange for viewing these ads, the consumer may receive some incentive, such as free or reduced price computer equipment, free or reduced price subscription to internet connection services, or other free or reduced price goods or services. What these business models lack is a system which reinforces customer behaviors and which also provides mutually beneficial relationships to a number of parties involved in a transaction. These parties can be the internet user, an information provider, a lending partner, and the system management entity. This mutually interlocking and self reinforcing structure of relationships is the focus of this invention.
The method and system of the present invention utilizes a targeted advertising method and utilizes that concept in an enhanced method and system which provides targeted information to a computer user, and also engages the computer user in a closed loop system which reinforces the mutual interactions of the computer user, information provider, and a lending partner. The method and system utilizes a networked personal computer and a desktop application that delivers targeted product promotions, multimedia advertising, or other targeted information to the system user""s personal computer or pc.
The method or system of the invention operates on a computer network in which typically a number of computers can access the network. An information system computer is also linked to the network, and provides information storage, comparison capabilities, and integration functions to the method and system of the invention. The information system computer is the system management entity, and can actually be one or a number of computers which perform the system management functions.
The method and system of the invention is an interlocking and mutually reinforcing series of interactions between four parties. Although each step of the method or system can actually be happening simultaneously with the other steps, the transaction from the point of view of a particular system user can describe a complete cycle of typical transactions. At the beginning of this cycle, funds are received in a management fund from one or more investors. The management fund is part of the system management structure, and can exist on a separate computer from the information system computer, or be on the same computer. It can also reside on a number of computers and include managers and operators who manage the functions of the system. These funds are to be used for providing a viewing incentive to the system user. The investors can be the management fund itself, or some external partner who participates in the system. It can be a bank which is providing money to the system as an investment, and which plans to be paid back. It can also be a consumer lending partner, who may benefit from interaction with the system user, and who may be willing to pay fees to the management fund for the opportunity to interact with the system user. The funds thus received from the investor are used to provide a viewing incentive for one or more of the system users.
This incentive could be in the form of providing a form of internet currency or credit to the system user, so that the system user could use this credit to purchase goods or services from advertisers or vendors on the network. In exchange for this viewing incentive, the new system user would agree to provide user profile information to be stored in the information system computer. This user profile information could include information on a variety of subjects of interest to information providers, such as age, income, number of family members and their ages, and type of occupation. The information could also include more specific information, depending on the arrangement with the system user, and could include birth dates of family members, political inclinations of the system user, buying habits of the system user and his family, shopping preferences of the system user and his family, and other units of information which would be of interest to a merchant, an advertiser, a credit lender, or another information provider such as political or advocacy organizations.
This system user information is gathered into a system user profile and stored, along with similar information from other system users, in the information system computer which manages the interactions of the method for network participation. The method or system also receives from the system user a commitment to view targeted information for a period of time. This commitment could take the form of for instance, a commitment to view targeted information for a period of twelve months. The targeted information would be presented to the system user on his computer screen. It would be displayed along one or more sides of the computer screen so that the majority of his computer screen is still available for use with whatever application he chose to use, and the targeted information would be visible along the margins. The particular form of this targeted information could vary. For instance, it could be present on the screen permanently, or certain units of information could appear periodically. One option is that after a certain period of time, the computer user could elect to turn off the display of targeted information. The targeted information could include a variety of material which had been deemed to be of interest to the computer user.
The next step would be to obtain information from one or more information providers. This could take the form of advertising information about certain products or services from merchants or manufacturers selling those products or services. It could also be information from political or advocacy groups, such as national political parties, groups involved with advocacy issues such as abortion and birth control issues, gun control issues, or environmental issues. The product information would be gathered from the information providers and stored on the information system computer. Along with the product information, the information providers would provide information about the demographics of the preferred target for their particular information. For instance, information provided by a jeweler about jewelry products might include demographic information that it should be displayed to users whose income is greater than $50,000 per year. Information from a number of information providers, each one possibly providing information about a number of products, services or offerings, would be received by the information system computer.
The information system computer would then integrate the system user profile information with the product information provided by information providers. Product information which matches the system user profile information would be selected, and provided to the system user for viewing on his computer screen. The selected product information is sent to the system users computer when the system user connects to the network.
The information provider or providers pays a presentation fee to the management fund, for each unit of information which is presented to the system user. The system user also has the ability of interacting with the product information or advertising. This would typically be by ordering a product, or investigating a product or other information more fully.
If a system user buys a product from an information provider, then the information provider pays a further fee, or sales commission to the management fund.
In this particular example, the cycle is completed when the original investor is paid from the management fund so that the viewing incentives he originally funded are paid for.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description wherein I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.